John and Irene Bryant-NC

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Authorities say there is a "strong possibility" they will be able to place Gary Michael Hilton in Pisgah National Forest at or near the time an elderly North Carolina couple disappeared.
While unwilling to label Hilton, already charged in the murder of Buford hiker Meredith Emerson, a suspect in the presumed double murder of John and Irene Bryant, Transylvania County Sheriff's Office Det. Brian Kreigsman said the case is rapidly developing, with calls pouring in from people who say they spotted a white van or a man matching Hilton's description. (more at link)

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2008/01/10/hiker0111.html?cxntlid=inform
 
http://citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/NEWS01/80110134

(snip)
In Western North Carolina, authorities also think they have information that could place Hilton in the region around the time a Henderson County couple disappeared in Pisgah National Forest, Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said Thursday.
Mahoney stopped short of naming Hilton as a suspect in the slaying of 84-year-old Irene Bryant and disappearance of her husband John, 80, who remains missing.
“At this point, we’ve not been able to corroborate any of them (tips) where we could absolutely, definitively say he was in our county on this day or that day,” Mahoney said. “But I think there are some leads that we will be able to corroborate and put him here. That’s my hope.”
 
I realize they have to be cautious, but it makes me wonder if they found the yellow jacket and other items. If they have physical evidence in the Bryant case...it would seem they could go ahead with a case. Perhaps they are waiting on the lab to confirm DNA etc.
 
Woman places Hilton in Tennessee soon after Bryant murder

A woman who delivers Coca-Cola to a gas station in Ducktown, Tenn., said she saw a man charged in Georgia with murder several times in the area, even around the time a man used the ATM card of murdered Horse Shoe resident Irene Bryant.

A woman who delivers Coca-Cola to a gas station in Ducktown, Tenn., said she saw a man charged in Georgia with murder several times in the area, even around the time a man used the ATM card of murdered Horse Shoe resident Irene Bryant.

Stephanie Johnson, who lives just outside Ducktown, said she saw 61-year-old Gary Hilton smoking cigarettes and walking with a dog outside a BP gas station she delivers drinks to. The BP gas station Johnson placed Hilton at is about 150 yards from the ATM someone used to withdraw $300 from the Bryant's account.

“I am positive it was Mr. Hilton,” Johnson said.

http://www.blueridgenow.com/article..._Hilton_in_Tennessee_soon_after_Bryant_murder
 
From same link (bolding is mine):

""Johnson said the first time she saw Hilton was during the summer of 2007.
“He would just sit on a milk crate at the corner with a black mutt that had brown splotches,” she said. “I did see him around this area in October. I have had this same route for eight years.”""

Has anyone heard mention of a black dog before this article? Did anyone ever figure out where/when he got Dandy, the red retriever?
 
From same link (bolding is mine):

""Johnson said the first time she saw Hilton was during the summer of 2007.
“He would just sit on a milk crate at the corner with a black mutt that had brown splotches,” she said. “I did see him around this area in October. I have had this same route for eight years.”""

Has anyone heard mention of a black dog before this article? Did anyone ever figure out where/when he got Dandy, the red retriever?

Yes, there was mention of a black dog in one of the trail blogs that I read, yesterday. I will try to find it. It doesn't make sense, though, because people seemed to be reporting that he had Dandy for awhile.
 
........that he had Mack for awhile.

Do you mean Dandy/Dandie? Mack is Hilton's nickname. I did see something regarding Levy Frady last being seen near a black dog, but that was in 1997. I've read so much stuff in so many different places the last few days I can't remember what I read where...
 
I found this on another thread here, I guess this is what I was thinking of. It doesn't sound like him, but you never know.



skate's 2002
Appalachian Trail Journal

First Previous Next Last
Sunday, March 17, 2002
Destination: Hiawassee, GA
Starting Location: Cheese Factory Site
Today's Miles: 12.70
Trip Miles: 66.80
Wow! Actually slept last night. Had to turn my sleeping bag 180 degrees so my head was at the foot of the tent to avoid the incline. I don’t quite have the knack down for selecting the perfect tent spot yet. Rained all night, but broke long enough at 6:30 AM for us to pack up our gear. Today was a body climate control challenge – wind, rain, countered by body heat and sweat had me switching fleece hat to bandana and back, rain jacket on/off, fleece jacket on/off. Finally I gave up and settled for T-shirt drenched in sweat and damp from rain. One of the great features of a thru-hike is the “Great Unknown.” Every day is truly a new day and it is fun to see what unfolds as the day progresses. Hawkeye and I stopped briefly at Tray Mountain Shelter to enjoy the luxury of a latrine and discovered a bag of fresh oranges hanging at the shelter - Trail Magic. Also met – a Vietnam Vet, and his black Lab, Tucker. He is quite the conversationalist. In the course of 15 minutes, he covered the crusades, life on the line at General Motors, the Vietnam War and the 101st Airborne Division, Hanoi Jane, and the Palestinians and Israel! Pickle joined us and we took off for Deep Gap. Walking, walking, walking the AT, walking the AT north, walking the AT north from Georgia to Maine… With that cadence in mind, I climbed the never, never, never ending climb up Kelly Knob. The descent led to the Blue Blaze Trail to Deep Gap Shelter. I reached the shelter first and it was already crowded – Turkey Bacon, Yankee Joe, Eric (Ohio), Tinman and Godiva, and Greg. With more hikers pouring in, it would be a sardine can tonight. I walked back to the water source and met Hawkeye and Pickle. A quick pow-wow and we decided to move on. Boy, did we move! It was 4 PM and we knew if we covered 3.5 miles we could catch a ride to Hiawassee. Hot bath, hotel – enough said. We booked up, over and down those mountains and hit Dick’s Creek Gap in 1.2 hours. I swear we were practically running those ridges. Several cars and trucks passed us at Dick’s Creek before a retired couple pulled over and took us into town (11 miles). The best Trail Angels we’ve met thus far. Hot bath, a real bed, food, glorious food…. Life is good. We’ll take a day tomorrow to do laundry, stock up on food supplies, and plan our next week on the Trail. -skate
 
Do you mean Dandy/Dandie? Mack is Hilton's nickname. I did see something regarding Levy Frady last being seen near a black dog, but that was in 1997. I've read so much stuff in so many different places the last few days I can't remember what I read where...

Yes, sorry! My friend's dog's name is Mack. I went back and changed it.
 
Sheriff: Stolen North Carolina license plate tag on Gary Michael Hilton's van from vehicle registered in Brevard
by Mike McWilliams
published January 14, 2008 1:49 pm

The license plate found on accused killer Gary Hilton’s van was stolen off a broken down vehicle registered in Brevard, Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said Monday.

However, Mahoney declined to reveal additional details about the plate, including the owner of the vehicle it belonged to. The owner has been contacted and is OK, Mahoney said.

<snipped>

http://citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880114032
 
Hilton van tied to Transylvania

<snipped>

Mahoney confirmed that the van was stolen, but would not comment on who the van or plate was registered to in Transylvania County.

"Until we approached the people about the tag, they didn't know the van was even missing," Mahoney said of the van's owners.

When asked if the stolen car with local tags was enough to link Hilton to the area and the Bryant murder, Mahoney said it was not.

"That in itself is not enough," he said. "Someone else could have stolen the vehicle and later been stolen by Hilton. The tag is a small piece in the big picture. We are working to put it all together to sure up our timeline and place Hilton in our county."

http://www.blueridgenow.com/article...327/1151/NEWS/Hilton_van_tied_to_Transylvania
 
Wow..so now we know the van was stolen..wonder what Hilton liked about the Ford Astro Vans..he had two, both white....I wonder if the other one is also stolen? And how do people not know they are missing a van? They didn't know it was stolen, hadn't reported it stolen...yet both vans are fairly new wasn't one a 2002 and the other a 2005 model?
So if the van was never reported stolen that is how he could register it in GA without the vin number showing up as a reported stolen vehicle...hm..
 
IMO it may be another case of media errors concerning this case. I have seen quite a few errors in their stories regarding this case (even so far as reporting Hiltons van as Emerson's van). They may have meant to say van plates not "van" as being stolen.
 
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080115/NEWS01/80114096

From what it sounds like in this article, Hilton (or someone) stole the plates off a vehicle that was probably sitting in a repair garage lot or the like. The plates came off a vehicle that wasn't on the real owners' property. I'm glad to hear the real owners of the plates are okay.

IMO, for Hilton to be able to get out to NC, my guess would be he already had a vehicle to drive out there. After that, he stole some plates off another. The best place for plates to take without having them noticed quickly would be from a repair garage with cars in the lot that needed fixing.
Given his criminal history, i do wonder if he stole some cars also. In that one atm video (not sure offhand which case) there was a pickup truck in the camo wrap in the background. If it was Hilton, maybe he stole that. I really think this guy has some "home bases" in different areas he frequented; either to stash his souvenirs whether they be plates, victim's belongings. I hope LE are checking into abandoned cabins. There are ones out there, and i'm sure Hilton would find them with his hiking experience.
It may even be a type of run down cabin in the woods not accessable by a car or vehicle that could be hiked to. (doubtful Hilton has an atv or quad).
 

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